


Artistc Backgrounds

by Marcus_Vici



Series: A Falling-out [1]
Category: No Fandom
Genre: Artists, F/M, Just For Practice, Original Fiction, Romance, Routine, Strangers, Teenagers, nothing serious really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:54:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26627857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marcus_Vici/pseuds/Marcus_Vici
Summary: In which Martha meets a meme star.
Series: A Falling-out [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1937092





	Artistc Backgrounds

“Do you smell it?” whispered Mike in her ear. His arms around her were warm and comforting.

“Finally realized that it`s no good when you change your clothes once a week?” asked Martha with a smile.

“No, that`s different. Smells like… a chemical or something.”

“Oh,” said Martha and leaned back, “I`m sorry. Perhaps, it`s wax solvent. I was doing batik today.”

Mike slowly moved away and grinned. Martha felt her cheeks becoming warm.

“So…” he mused, “what do you think about all of this?”

“I think that it`s complicated.”

“Will you help me?”

Martha was silent for a moment before she replied in a rather apologetic tone. “I want to. But my exams are not over yet. If you can wait a couple of days, then…”

“But I can`t!” said Mike and started pacing in front of her. “What should I say to Lars? You know him, he`ll never argue back. He`ll just accept all the bullshit mom and dad throw at him like it`s normal. But it`s not!” He stopped and sighed. Looked at the park lake in front of them and back at Martha who was sitting on a bench. “They didn`t listen to Lars. They didn`t listen to me either, but I know that they`ll listen to you. They respect you, because you`re a good girl and not a disappointment like me. Plus, you`re really good at staying calm and finding the right words. Lars and I need your help!”

“And I`ll help both of you,” replied Martha, “but not today. I know that it`s important for you, but I`m exhausted, Mike. I need time to prepare for a talk like that and…”

“Okay, okay. I got it,” said Mike and sneered. “That`s not your problem, right? Because it`s not your little brother whose life is being destroyed. Okay, I understand it. Don`t worry. Do your fucking exams and don`t care about me!” He yelled, took his bike and drove off.

Martha heaved a heavy sigh and rubbed her tired eyes.

She really was exhausted.

All she was doing for the last couple of weeks was drawing. On plein-air with her college group during days, at home during nights. Some garbage food and black coffee in between. Four hours of sleep at most.

Martha was rather sure that wax solvent is not the only chemical the smell of which soaked into her clothes and skin despite regular showering. It`s surprising how Mike was still able to hug her without feeling nauseous.

And she loved Mike. She truly did. But sometimes…

Sometimes his rapid mood changes were a bit too much for her.

Martha opened her eyes and looked at the ducks swimming in the lake. One of them was loudly quacking at the other in an attempt to look intimidating.

Martha gave them a weary smile. Nature is funny when it`s not trying to kill you.

After sitting on the bench for a little while Martha took her backpack in one hand and paper tube in the other and stood up. The faster she gets done with her assignments, the better.

With this thought in mind she walked on the footpath and headed towards a bus stop. Not long after that, however, she smashed into someone tall and firm.

Perhaps, she was even more tired than she realized. This was the only possible reason why she (with her heavy load and stable shoes) couldn`t hold the balance and instead tumbled on the ground.

“Oh, I`m sorry. Are you okay?” asked the male face above her.

Martha just sighed.

She tried to get up but couldn`t. She sighed again and then took off her backpack and tube. The outstretched hand of the stranger was ignored.

Without the weight she was finally able to rise from the ground. When the backpack straps got back to their place on her shoulders, Martha turned to the man who was still looking at her rather worriedly.

“I`m okay.”

“Are you sure?” asked the man and narrowed his eyes.

“Yes.”

The man was looking at her for a few more seconds before he took the paper tube that was still lying there and opened it.

“What are you…” started Martha, but the man shushed her and pulled out one of the drawings. Martha was petrified by his insolence.

“Hm-m,” he mused while looking at the picture. Finally, he concluded. “Not bad.”

“Excuse me?!”

“Too academic but nice,” said the man and pulled out another drawing. Martha tried to take the tube out of his hand but failed. “Oh, this is better. Architecture`s definitely not your thing, believe me.”

“Who do you think you are?!” hissed Martha. She had neither desire nor time to participate in this spectacle. Also, her bum hurt, so she definitely wasn`t in the mood right now.

“Don`t you know me?” The man looked surprised. “I`m Steven. You do know me, don`t you?”

Martha stared at him as if he were a madman.

“Steven Miles. From _The Equilibrium._ You know, the TV show. It`s broadcasted twice a day,” said Steve and scowled.

“I don`t watch TV,” said Martha in a very calm voice, but her eyes were glowing with annoyance.

“Oh…” whispered Steve. “Well. Okay. And you`ve never seen it on the Internet? No? Oh-h…”

Steven looked genuinely upset but Martha did not emphasize him in any way as long as he was still holding her property in his hands.

“Well. Anyway,” said Steve after a short pause. “I have some artistic background and just wanted to give you feedback. As an apology, you know. I`m sorry if I seemed rude, I didn`t mean to.”

Martha closed her eyes for a second and then slowly exhaled.

This day is going to kill her even before the exams start.

When she looked back at Steven she was ready to reject his offer and just go home, but, to her own surprise, she didn`t. Martha studied his face more carefully and suddenly realized that it looked familiar.

Wait… he couldn`t be…

Wasn`t it him on that meme? With the Malevich square on his belly?

Yeah, no mistake! It was his face that looked so stupid that it made the meme iconic. For about a week.

Wow, this was unexpected.

“M-m, okay,” said Martha finally, “your feedback would be much appreciated.”

Steven looked at her suspiciously but said nothing. Perhaps, he didn`t want to dive deeper into the generation gap and just decided not to think about reasons behind Martha`s sudden friendliness.

Together they reached the nearest bench and settled themselves in it. Steven took the next painting out of the tube and spread it with his hands.

“Oh, watercolours! You don`t like them, do you?”

“They`re too messy.”

“But they give viewers such a lively feeling!” exclaimed Steven, although soon digressed when he saw Martha wrinkling her forehead. “Okay, watercolors are bad. I got it.”

He took the next drawing.

“Well, forget my previous words. _This_ is too academic. Who even need all these cubes and pyramids?”

“Our professors,” replied Martha and shrugged. “You should know academic painting if you want to be an architect or a designer.”

Steven looked at her in surprise, mumbled “scary people” and took out another one.

From the way his face lighted up, Martha could tell that Steven liked this one. It was a small gouache painting which depicted two cartoony fishes, one at the top and one at the bottom. They heavily resembled the yin-yang symbol and, in Martha`s opinion, lacked any creativity. This picture was drawn during the night before deadline, so she supposed that her mind at that time was too tired to produce anything less ridiculous.

Steven liked it, though. At this point Martha was unsure if he had any artistic background at all.

“How expressive! The colours`re outright beautiful, and oh, this symbolism!” he said with glowing eyes. “I absolutely love it, my dear! Can I buy it?”

“W-what?”

Martha was shocked and looked at him with growing suspicion. Is this man crazy?

“Yes, I`d pay for it… hm-m… let`s say, ten thousand. Would this be enough?”

Steven was still admiring the picture. Martha was still shocked.

But hey… ten thousand, you know.

“Em-m, yes,” she muttered and continued more confidently. “Yes, this`d be enough.”

“Awesome!”

Steven asked her credit card number and sent the money right away. Martha looked at the notification and mechanically nodded to Steve who was praising her talent and saying thank you multiple times. He read her name at the bottom of the picture and said that he`ll find her artistic accounts and follow all of them.

Martha took a mental note to later create these accounts.

Then Steven left.

He definitely was no professional critic. He gave her no valuable feedback, but he paid her ten thousand pounds.

After all, Steven turned out to be a great man. A great man to be smashed into, indeed.

Martha was putting her paintings back into the tube when her phone display glowed with a new notification. She was almost scared to see another bill confirmation, but it was just a message from Mike.

He sent a picture of him and two cute cats in his arms. The white one was large and so fluffy that Martha immediately wished to stroke it. The other one was black and small and so-o-o cute.

_Purr and his little friend whom I haven`t named yet. I`m sure both of them will love you, because they already know how much I love you. And that I`m very sorry._

Martha smiled.

On her way home she was thinking about a name for this unnamed cat. Finally, she wrote:

_Her name is Mia. She and Purr will be happy if you tide your room on Thursday so that I won`t trip over your shirts. Love you too._


End file.
